If children living with HIV are not found, put on antiretroviral treatment and given the care they need, they cannot live long, healthy lives.
Infant diagnosis tools called Point-Of-Care (POC) Early Infant Diagnosis (EID) machines make it easy to test infants for HIV but the machines can only improve health outcomes for children if parents and caregivers choose to take their children to get tested. Community-based civil society organisations could make all the difference. They are perfectly placed to help create demand for infant testing, to work to remove the stigma surrounding HIV testing and to build enabling communities that support infant testing and treatment.
What are we doing?
Working with UNICEF, MANET + (Malawi) and RNP+ (Senegal) we have created a whole package of resources to support organisations that want to encourage infant HIV testing. The main tool is a strategic framework that guides organisations to create their own work plans on early infant diagnosis. There are also posters, a leaflet, an advocacy guide and more – all available in English and French.
With our support, MANET+ and RNP+ have developed work plans on early infant diagnosis. We are now encouraging other organisations to follow their lead and use the strategic framework to create their own plans of action.
What can you do?
Check out our resources for community-based organisations here. Share them with your networks and use them to support early infant diagnosis in your country and community.